DENTAL HEALTHCARE

Cause Areas

When

It's flexible! We'll work with your schedule.

Where

Casa de CulturaSanta Barbara de Samana, Samana32000DO

About

Work side by side with Dentist and staff at a public clinic

Our observation and hands-on dentistry experience is a programme which is aimed at current professionals and aspiring dentists. Assisting at the local hospital-based clinic you will gain first-hand experience of the day-to-day activities at a public dental clinic in a developing country.

This project provides an opportunity to work in a dental clinic, where you will experience the stark contrast between Western dentistl practice and the realities of dentistry in developing countries

Your level of involvement will largely depend upon your professional and spanish language skills, as well as your motivation and willingness to get involved. You will be creating your own working schedule with the departmental director and relaying this back to us. As with any medical service, volunteers should recognize that their schedules are subject to sudden change and are dictated by patients' needs.

During this observation and experience program you will be shadowing the doctors and nurses and you will be able to get hands on experience depending on your qualifications and language skills.

Activities can include but are not limited to:Your level of involvement will largely depend upon your professional and Spanish language skills, as well as your motivation and willingness to get involved. In order to gain the most out of your experience - or if you have a specific healthcare goal - please contact us in a timely fashion to discuss your options in greater detail. * Observe, shadow, and assist the dentist * Encourage and teach prevention of oral diseases through proper hygiene and regular checkups for professional cleaning and evaluation. (Special prevention program for pregnant woman) * Provide oral health services support when needed, which includes dental assistance, dental hygiene and dental therapy. * Spend time with specialists * Assist the dentist relative to your skills and experience with dental treatments: dental restorations, crowns, bridges, dentures, root canal therapy, periodontal therapy, and extraction of teeth, as well as dental examinations and diagnosis.

Volunteer InformationWe expect our volunteers and interns to dedicate a minimum of four hours/ four days per week and a maximum of eight hours/ five days per week working in their respective programs. Volunteers/interns usually come by themselves or with their partner to our foundation. Volunteers/interns under 18 need to bring a written permission from their parents or guardians. We welcome individual volunteers, families and groups regardless of age, experience or background. You don't have to speak fluent Spanish; we provide free Spanish classes on a regular base, full support and 24/7 back up.

RequirementsThis program is suitable for dental students with free holiday time, pre-university students, students taking - or planning to take - specialist dentist courses as well as professionals. The key requirements for a medical volunteer or intern are initiative, enthusiasm, and readiness to work in unfamiliar circumstances. If candidates have more specialized skills, this will allow for more specialized activities. Please provide a recent "statement of fitness to work in healthcare"! Basic conversational Spanish skills are required and the more advanced your level of experience and Spanish language skills, the larger the number of opportunities available. To allow for deeper engagement with your placement we also offer 6 free Spanish language lessons every week allowing for an enhanced experience as a volunteer/intern with us. Additionally, it is asked that you provide your own scrubs.An extra donation of €30 per week is required which will go directly to the clinic administration to support needy patients with medicines and medical materials. Additionally, it is asked that you provide your own scrubs.

Time CommitmentA minimum of 4 weeks time commitment is requiredVolunteer placement or internshipThis program can be booked as a volunteer placement or as an internship. Please let us know your school or universities internship requirements and we will work out your personalized work plan.

Costs & Benefits Aldeas de Paz works hard to keep the required financial contribution to an absolute minimum and to offer financial transparency by practicing an open book policy. The calculation of your minimum donation is set up so that the longer you stay the less you give per week. We do this to encourage longer stays, recognizing that longer stays lead to more significant volunteer work and more energy contributed in the form of donated time in place of money! The minimum contribution starts at € 100 per week including double room accommodation at our Aldeas de Paz Guesthouse. For single room add € 20 per week, for fully equipped studio apartment add € 25 per week to the rate. Minimum donation for the Host Family stay is € 180 per week and includes a private bedroom and two meals (breakfast and lunch).

Special OfferSpanish Language immersion classes - Volunteers or Interns receive 6 free language lessons every week. Classes focus on developing communication skills so that students are able to put their knowledge to practical use as soon as they step outside the classroom. Our teaching method enables students to develop four basic skills: listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. The idea is to learn Spanish in a natural and spontaneous way, just as students have learned their mother tongue. Our students speak Spanish right from the very first day, using it in typical real-life situations: the basic syllabus is supplemented by special exercises, such as role-play, situational dialogues and work projects. Outside the classroom the learning process continues as you are immersed in the Spanish language and culture.

What you may bring for yourself:Blood pressure testing kit, scrubs or appropriate work attire (mandatory), hand sanitizer